CHEROKEE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

CIRCULATION POLICY

I. PURPOSE

The circulation policy of the Cherokee County Public Library exists to facilitate community access to the materials and information contained in the Library’s collection.

II. CHEROKEE COUNTY LIBRARY CARDS: ELIGIBILITY AND REGISTRATION

In order to borrow materials from the Cherokee County Public Library, library users must register for a CCPL library card. Cards are issued free of charge to people who reside, work, attend school, or own property in Cherokee County with valid I.D. and proof of eligibility as listed above.

Library materials will not be checked out to anyone who does not have a valid library card with them at the time of checkout.

A) ACCEPTABLE IDENTIFICATION

The Library accepts as identification a valid (current) South Carolina Driver’s License or DMV identification, or other official photo identification with pre-printed name and current residential address. Identification with only a post office box number or with a motel or hotel address is not considered valid. Temporary residence addresses such as shelters or emergency housing do not qualify as valid. The Library reserves the right to request a second form of identification for verification of address, if necessary.

B) CATEGORIES OF ELIGIBILITY

1) Cherokee County residents 16 and older - initial library card is free with valid photo I.D. with current residential address.

2) Persons who attend school or work in Cherokee County – initial library card is free with school or work verification, and valid photo I.D. with current residential address.

3) Persons who own property in Cherokee County – initial library card is free upon presentation of current tax receipt and valid photo I.D, with current residential address.

4) Children of any age are eligible for a library card. For applicants under the age of 16, a parent or legal guardian must be present with the applicant and sign the application. Parents or guardians must have a Cherokee County Public Library card in order to sign for a child’s card. The parent/guardian card, and any other cards they have previously signed for must be in good standing (no overdue materials or fees, or lost items). Parent/guardians who sign for their child’s card will be held responsible for all items checked out on the card. 5) Persons who do not meet the above requirements (1-4) may purchase a non- resident library card for a non-refundable fee of $10 per year, with valid I.D. with current residential address.

Cherokee County Public Library cards are valid for a two year period (with the exception of non-resident cards), at the end of which time the card- holder will be asked to present an acceptable form of identification for address verification. Replacement cards are $5.00, and also require an acceptable form of identification.

C) COMPUTER USERS

Cherokee County Public Library card-holders must be in possession of their own library card to use the public access computers at each library location. Non- resident computer users are required to provide photo identification and to fill out a user agreement application form. The agreement is valid for 30 days, after which a library card must be purchased for a fee of $10. A visitor’s pass will be printed on a daily basis for the 30-day period.

III. LOAN PERIODS AND LIMITS

The following loan periods and limits have been established to provide library users with a reasonable amount of time to both use library materials and return them so that they are available for other users.

A) LOAN LIMITS – A library card-holder may have up to 15 items checked out at any time. Loan limits for specific materials are as follows:

o Fiction Books – 15 items o DVD’s – 5 items o Non-fiction Books – 3 items per subject o Audio Books – 8 items

B) LOAN PERIODS – The majority of items within the library’s collection may be borrowed for 14 days. If the due date falls on a holiday when the library is closed, the loan period will be extended until the next day that the library is open.

o Books – 14 days o DVD’s – 1 week o Audio books – 14 days o Circulating Periodicals – 14 days

C) RENEWALS – Two 14-day renewals of items with standard loan periods are permitted, if the item is not reserved for another library user. DVD’s may not be renewed. Items may be renewed in the library, by telephoning the library, or via the library’s on-line catalog.

D) NON-CIRCULATING ITEMS – Selected magazine and newspaper titles to which the Cherokee County Public Library subscribes may not be taken out of the building as their physical format is very susceptible to damage; they are often impossible to replace in case of loss; and they are frequently used as reference 2 sources. In addition, books that have been designated for reference use do not circulate. In general, they are not designed to be read cover-to-cover, but are used to find answers to specific questions, and must be available at all times to the staff for responding to requests from the public as efficiently as possible.

E) RETURN OF ITEMS – Items must be returned to the Cherokee County Public Library’s main location or Blacksburg branch, either within the library or via the 24-hour outside book drop. The Library requests that audio and video materials be returned inside the library due to possible damage from outside temperatures if left in the book drop.

IV. FINES, FEES, OVERDUES, SEVERELY DAMAGED AND LOST MATERIALS

A) FINES - Fines are charged on materials not returned on time to encourage users to return their materials so that they may be made available for other users. Fine rates are as follows:

o Books, audio books, CD’s, periodicals – 10 cents per day per item o DVD’s – $1.00 per day per item

B) OVERDUES - The library sends out overdue notices to patrons as a courtesy reminder. Failure to receive a notice will not be considered grounds for waiving a fine, as library users are responsible for keeping track of the due date of their library material.

C) VERBAL REMINDERS - Patrons will be verbally reminded about any outstanding fines or fees on their account each visit.

D) SEVERELY DAMAGED OR LOST MATERIALS - Charges are assessed on library materials which are returned irreparably damaged or have been lost. Items will be declared lost approximately 2 months after the due date. The cardholder will be assessed the full replacement cost plus a $5.00 processing/cataloging fee.

E) REFUNDS - If a library user locates a lost item (with no damage) after it is paid for, a refund will be issued for the cost of the item minus the late fee. Library users who request a refund must provide the receipt that was issued by the Library at the time payment was tendered. Refunds of $25.00 or less will be issued immediately. For refunds over $25.00, a check will be mailed directly to the library user from the Library’s business office. No refunds will be made for lost items returned after six months from date of payment receipt.

F) NATURAL DISASTER OR UNFORSEEN EVENT - If materials are damaged or lost due to a natural disaster or some unforeseen event (fire, flood, storm, death, etc.), a written request for amnesty may be approved Circulation Manager or Director with proof of disaster.

G) DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS – The library reserves the right to send delinquent accounts to a collection agency to recover outstanding fines and materials. 3 There is a maximum per-item fine of $3.00, exclusive of damage and processing charges. The maximum fine does not include any fees that may be accrued as the result of the referral to a collection agency.

F) WAIVER OF FINES AND FEES – Circulation staff has the option of waiving or reducing fines or fees if extenuating circumstances so warrant. If there is a question regarding the waiver of fines or fees, the Circulation Manager and/or Library Director will make the final decision.

G) PAYMENT OF FINES AND FEES – the Library will accept cash, or personal check made out to “Cherokee County Public Library” drawn on a local bank with proper ID and written for the exact amount of the fines. No personal checks without printed name and address information will be accepted. There is a $25 charge for all returned checks. The library does not accept in payment any bill denomination larger than $20.

H) JUVENILE CARD FEE TRANSFER – Circulation staff has the option of transferring late fees or lost book charges to the responsible adult’s card when a juvenile reaches the age of 18 and applies for a library card as an adult.

I) DAMAGED ITEMS – Charges are also assessed for damaged materials to encourage library users to take proper care of public property.

o Normal wear and tear as determined by the Library – no charge o Damaged page(s) – torn, writing, missing barcode, etc. - $1.00 - $5.00, depending on extent of damage o Missing or torn pocket - $1.00 o Replace plastic book jacket - $2.00 o Replace Audio or DVD case – $2.00 - $4.00, depending on size of case o Missing cassette or CD – actual replacement cost o Missing DVD – full replacement cost

V. SUSPENSION OF BORROWING PRIVILEGES

A) REASONS FOR SUSPENSION - A cardholder’s borrowing privileges may be suspended under any of the following conditions:

o Accumulated fines and charges in excess of $3.00. o Fines that have been unpaid in excess of two months. o Outstanding lost or damaged materials o Patron contact information that is not current or accurate. o Patron status changes from resident to non-resident and $10 fee has not been paid. o Failure to comply with Library Conduct and Behavior Policy

The Library reserves the right to prohibit the use of a library card if any card linked to that card (same responsible card-holder) has excessive fines exceeding the maximum amount of $3.00 and/or overdue items (more than two months old) checked out on the library card.

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B) REINSTATEMENT - Borrowing privileges are reinstated immediately upon return of delinquent materials and/or payment of outstanding fines and charges, with verification of address and contact information.

VI. RESPONSIBILITY

Library users are responsible for all materials checked out on their card, and on the cards of children for who they have assumed responsibility. If library users allow others to check out materials on their card, those materials are still the responsibility of the card-holder. Lost or stolen cards should be reported immediately; library users are responsible for all materials checked out on their card up to the time that they report the card is lost or stolen.

VII. CONFIDENTIALITY OF USER RECORDS

Pursuant to South Carolina Law, the Cherokee County Public Library shall not disclose any record or information that identifies a user of library services as requesting or obtaining specific materials or services, or as otherwise using the Library. Records may be disclosed only in the following circumstances:

o If necessary for the reasonable operation of the Library o On written consent of the library user o On receipt of a court order o If required by law

For more information, see the Library’s “Patron Confidentiality Policy”.

VIII. SPECIAL SERVICES

A) RESERVES – Library users may place a reserve on a specific item that it currently checked out or for which there is a waiting list. When the item is returned or available, it will be held for them in the Ready Reference room for a specified date. Reserve items will be held for ten (10) days for notification of the user. A library user may have not more than three (3) outstanding reserve requests at any one time. Library users should notify the Library if they no longer need a requested item and wish to be removed from the waiting list.

` B) INTERLIBRARY LOAN (ILL) REQUESTS - Interlibrary Loan is a service that allows Library cardholders to request fiction and non-fiction books, microfilm, photocopies, or other materials that are not owned or available within the Cherokee County Public Library system. These materials are borrowed primarily from the South Carolina State Library in Columbia, SC, or from the public libraries in Spartanburg or Greenville, SC. Some materials may be loaned from certain academic institutions or from the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

1) Placing Requests – ILL Requests are limited to three (3) at one time, including items checked out and in process), and may be submitted in person at either the Main Library in Gaffney or the Blacksburg Branch

5 Library, online at [email protected], or by telephone at 487- 2711 (Gaffney) or 839-2630 (Blacksburg).

2) Who May Borrow – To be eligible, a library patron must:

o have obtained and used a Cherokee County Public Library card for a minimum of three months and have no fines, overdue or lost items, or any other blocks on their record. o have at least one verifiable telephone number o agree to pay any fees that may be charged by a lending institution

An ILL Request Card will be completed by a library staff member with as much information as possible supplied by the patron. The card will be forwarded to an ILL Librarian to search, via the Internet and other sources, for the item, and once located, borrow it from another library. If the item cannot be located or borrowed, the patron will be notified.

3) Time Required –If the item is successfully located, it may take 1-6 weeks to arrive. The patron will be notified by telephone of its arrival, and must pick up the item as soon as possible. .

4) Loan Period -The length of the loan is set by the lending library, not the Cherokee County Public Library, and will vary accordingly. The date will be designated on the paper band attached to the borrowed item.

5) Renewals - Renewals are not standard procedure in Interlibrary Loan, but may be possible. Borrowers must contact the ILL Librarian a minimum of one week before the due date so that contact with the lending library can be made for a renewal date. The borrower will be notified if the loan was extended, dependent on the ILL loan policy of the lending institution.

6) Returning ILL’s – Interlibrary Loan materials should be returned to either the Gaffney or Blacksburg libraries with paper band(s) still intact. ILL materials may NOT be returned in book drops.

7) Materials Not Available through Interlibrary Loan - Some types of materials are not generally loaned between libraries. Examples include: books with publication dates less than six months old; books classified as reference use only; issues of magazines or newspapers; rare or valuable books; audio/visual materials, and most genealogy sources. In addition, requests are not made from other libraries for books which we own or have on order.

The Cherokee County Public Library’s fine policy also applies to ILL materials. Fees for lost or damaged items will be assessed by the lending library, and cannot be estimated or refunded by the Cherokee County Public Library. Failure to comply with the above restrictions and guidelines will result in revocation of ILL privileges.

Revised and approved March 2013 6